The Importance of Separation

1 Corinthians 15:33  “Be not deceived: evil  communications corrupt good
manners.”

I was recently reminded of this truth, when I  naively thought that I could visit
a “Christian” activity at a church that I  knew was not completely in line with
bible believing Christianity.  Although I have recognized for many years the  importance of separating from false doctrine, I was deceived by my own pride to  think that I could go and be objective, discerning and unaffected by whatever  they said and did. 

While I easily recognized the unbiblical  philosophies of their teaching, and feigned spirituality of their fleshly  worship, I was unprepared for the depth of their own deception. Seeing the  sincerity of their belief in the false, and their
presumptuous claims as from  God, I was saddened almost to the point of
discouragement to think that so many  were so sincerely deceived. To see them so earnestly promoting their misguided  beliefs and leading so many others to
believe that this was what Christianity is  all about, made me heart
sick.

Seeing these things made me realize why it is that  it is so hard to show the unsaved the truth, when there are so many imposters  out there offering a “Christianity” that is worldly, and appealing to the flesh,  presenting sin as liberty and ungodliness as gain.

2 Peter 2:17  “These are wells without water,  clouds that are carried with a
tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved  for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of  vanity, they allure through
the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness,  those that were clean escaped
from them who live in error.
19While they promise them liberty, they  themselves are the servants of
corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the  same is he brought in
bondage.”

It’s no  wonder so few desire the real thing- the genuine Christianity that calls us to  be holy as God is holy- that demands separation from the world, and sin and  false doctrine- that calls us to suffer and sacrifice and live for the Lord  instead of for ourselves- to be a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a  peculiar people who have been called out of darkness and into his marvellous  light.

Even worse than the effect it had on me, is the  thought that my presence there may have been perceived by others as approval and  a partaking of such
ungodliness.

Romans 16:17  “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark  them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have  learned; and avoid them.”